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Horse Racing

American Pharoah opened as the morning line favorite of 5/2 for the 2015 Kentucky Derby after the draw on Wednesday and sits with the same line on those betting odds entering the final stretch of wagering for Saturday's race at Churchill Downs.

Editor's Note: A third horse, International Star, was scratched from the field for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday morning.

There are at least three good reasons why American Pharoah is the favorite and the best pick to win the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

First of all, the three-year-old bay colt is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who has previously won the Kentucky Derby three times, with the last victory taking place in 2002 with War Emblem. Baffert also won the Kentucky Derby with Silver Charm and Real Quiet in 1997 and 1998, respectively.

Dortmund is one of two top contenders on the odds to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, but some horse racing handicappers and bettors may argue he has a better chance to win the 141st Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs than favorite American Pharoah based on their respective post positions.

Dortmund drew the No. 8 position, with horses in that spot winning eight times previously, the last coming in 2009 with Mine That Bird.

American Pharoah and Dortmund are the top two favorites on the odds to win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, and props released by the online sportsbooks on Thursday allow you to wager on them head-to-head in the race at Churchill Downs.

Despite failing to land a favorable post position on Wednesday, Carpe Diem remains one of the top horses worth betting for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs behind only Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s two favorites, American Pharoah and Dortmund.

That is because Carpe Diem has a quality trainer of his own in Todd Pletcher, who won the Derby in 2010 with Super Saver and has seen his latest three-year-old win the Blue Grass and Tampa Bay Derby in his last two starts.

It might not be the best post position for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, but Frosted need not look further than Orb in 2013 to find another horse that won the race from near his assigned gate.

And the jockey that rode Orb to that victory, Joel Rosario, will be atop Frosted as well in hopes of repeating the success he enjoyed just two years ago at the Kentucky Derby.

Firing Line has the best chance to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby out of the entire 20-horse field based on Wednesday’s post position draw. And at his current odds bettors may get a bargain if he becomes the 10th horse ever to win the Kentucky Derby out of the No. 10 position.

Giacomo was the last horse to win the Kentucky Derby out of that spot a decade ago, and eight others have done the same from that Kentucky Derby post position since 1930.

While he may not be one of the most well-known horses in the Kentucky Derby field, Mubtaahij is a bit of a wild card for the first race of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The Irish-bred three-year-old bay colt earned an impressive eight-length win in the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai on March 28, serving notice that he will be one to watch in Louisville.

Much like another Todd Pletcher-trained horse – Carpe Diem – Materiality will not be starting the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday from the most favorable post position.

Carpe Diem will be in the No. 3 position for the race while Materiality is set to begin right next to him at No. 4. The good news is that Super Saver won the Kentucky Derby from that spot back in 2010, as have four others in the history of the first Triple Crown race.

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